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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26695306">Le Drapeau Rouge</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dakeyras/pseuds/dakeyras'>dakeyras</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - 19th Century, Alternate Universe - Historical, Friendship, Gen, Inspired by Paris Commune (1871), Politics, Poverty, Revolution, Revolutionaries</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 09:33:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,772</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26695306</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dakeyras/pseuds/dakeyras</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The city is under siege and the army is hopeless. Food is running out. Every day, things get just a little worse.</p><p>But all is not lost. Naruto can smell revolution in the air.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haruno Sakura &amp; Uchiha Sasuke &amp; Uzumaki Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>r/NarutoFanfiction Gift Exchange</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Le Drapeau Rouge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/beelzebubble_tea/gifts">beelzebubble_tea</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Thirty years to the day since our illustrious Emperor took power," Sakura said, sneering. "Oh joyous anniversary."</p><p>On the table in the middle of the room sat four small potatoes. Naruto's belly rumbled but he knew from bitter experience that he could go a while longer without a meal. Sasuke was away for another few hours; despite the siege, the factory owner insisted his employees work overtime. Unpaid, of course.</p><p>"Here's hoping the Emperor never comes back from the war," he said, flicking a wary glance at the only window of the hovel they called home. The police could always be listening, although what interest they'd have in a couple of starving orphans in the poorest district of the capital was unclear.</p><p>Sakura snorted. "Didn't you read yesterday's newspapers? The <em>Cry Of The People</em> said the Emperor is imprisoned by the invaders. You might yet get your wish."</p><p>"They won't hang him, they'll just stick him in a nice palace somewhere until he gives up our land and money."</p><p>Neither of them said anything after that; the reality was too bitter. Naruto wrapped himself in a threadbare blanket and tried to get some rest.</p><p>Long after nightfall, Sasuke returned from work. "Have you heard? The <em>Cry Of The People</em> has been banned, and the editor sentenced to jail for six months!" he said, before he'd even closed the door behind him.</p><p>Sakura looked up from the cookpot, where the four potatoes swam. The fire underneath was pitifully small, but supplies of firewood and coal had been cut off by the siege. "Wait, he's locked up?"</p><p>"No, he fled into the city's back alleys. I hope he'll be alright," Sasuke said.</p><p>Naruto stood up from his corner. "<em>None</em> of us will be alright at this rate. Something has to be done."</p><p>"But what?" Sakura asked, sharing out the food. Nobody had an answer. The last uprising had been brutally suppressed by the army, and made Sasuke an orphan. The Uchiha had been at the forefront of the rebellion.</p><p>The night was cold again, and the fire went out all too fast. It had been a long time since Naruto cared to look out over the city after dusk – for weeks now, it was pitch black as soon as the sun set. Even the wealthiest households struggled to keep a light going.</p><p>In the mornings there were new bodies in the streets, the homeless and the drunks dying in droves of simple cold. Naruto had to avert his eyes or he would be filled with the urge to scream and rage against the very heavens. Instead he trudged to the docks to unload the barges and steamships that brought supplies to the city.</p><p>That morning the docks were still. No ships had been able to sneak through the blockade, and the milling dockworkers – Naruto among them – had no work to do. That meant no pay, either. One man, though, was standing on an upturned crate and shouting over the anger and confusion of the crowd.</p><p>"The National Guard is recruiting able-bodied patriots to defend the walls. Anyone who wishes to apply should report to the Mayor's office at once!"</p><p>Naruto wasted no time pushing his way out of the docks. He didn't know how many recruits would be needed, and he needed to put food on the table for his friends. That meant getting to the recruiters before they'd reached their quota.</p><p>The streets were almost empty. With an army camped outside and half an army inside the city, the civilians were taking shelter in their houses where possible. It felt like a ghost town to Naruto, who was used to the bustle of city life.</p><p>The mayor had his entire administration inside City Hall, but the recruiting was apparently taking place outside. A short man with bushy facial hair and no jacket was inspecting a dozen young men and women. "Everyone except you and you, report to the Yew Tree Lane mustering grounds and tell the captain you're new recruits. My secretary will give you the needed paperwork."</p><p>Naruto joined the back of a short queue, watching as the young (and not-so-young) men and women were each either accepted or rejected. The recruiter's temper seemed to get worse with each person he spoke to, and by the time it was Naruto's turn there was a bit of spittle stuck to the bottom of his mustache. He gathered his courage.</p><p>"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, sir. I'm here to enlist in the National Guard."</p><p>"Why aren't you in the army, a strapping young lad like you?" the short man asked him, mustache quivering.</p><p>Naruto kept his eyes forward and his back straight. He had no appetite for lies, and he didn't know what the recruiter wanted to hear anyway. The answer came easily to his lips. "The National Guard defends us, and our city, from attackers. The army goes and attacks some foreigners who've done nothing to us. They're the Emperor's lapdogs. And they're useless, too. They've lost every battle they've been in and only a handful escaped to this city, bringing invaders with them. Sir."</p><p>A bead of sweat rolled down his temple as he waited for a response.</p><p>"I want this man given the rank of corporal," the short man ordered. He smiled at Naruto, and it was scarier than the scowl from earlier. "Good head on his shoulders."</p><p>It was a potent reminder that the flames of rebellion had been quashed, but embers remained. The people of the city didn't forget their forefathers so easily.</p><p>His secretary scribbled down some notes and pulled an insignia from a desk drawer. "Congratulations, Corporal Uzumaki. You're to be a member of the Red Docks battalion. Report to the mustering ground immediately."</p><p>-O-</p><p>"So what's it like?" Sasuke asked that evening. "You stink of gunpowder so I'm guessing they let you enlist. Can't be worse than the steelworks, at least."</p><p>Naruto nodded. "We've only done drills so far. I'm exhausted but at least I could go home after I put my hours in, and I wasn't docked pay for made-up reasons."</p><p>Sakura scowled. "If that fat pervert of a boss tries to fine one of my seamstresses for losing a needle again, I'm going to string him up by his guts."</p><p>Naruto slung an arm over her shoulder, wishing there was something he could do. "Rough day?"</p><p>"I don't want to talk about it," she said.</p><p>"If it happens again, go on strike," Naruto growled. "Hit that bastard in the wallet. Hell, stage a mass walkout and come enlist with your fellows. The Red Docks battalion is still short quite a few guardsmen and if you can march in a straight line and aim a rifle you'll be welcomed with open arms."</p><p>Sasuke had smuggled some coal out of the steelworks, so they were warmer that night. Once they pooled their wages Sakura was able to haggle for some cabbages, beans and onions and she made a big pot of watery soup. "It'll have to last us a while," she warned.</p><p>The next day, the invaders started firing their cannons at the city.</p><p>-O-</p><p>"Two weeks and four hundred dead, thrice that wounded and countless buildings in ruins. And nothing we can do about it. This is a bad business," the captain remarked. Naruto nodded. He'd learned the hard way that anything except silent agreement would be punished, as had the other guardsmen.</p><p>The captain was a former army officer who'd been discharged due to a wounded knee. Now he limped around the mustering grounds, leaning on a cane, swearing at his troops. The professional sergeants led the training, and the lieutenant kept the captain busy with paperwork for as long as possible, trying to give the guards some space.</p><p>Naruto didn't like the authority that the captain had over the rest of them, but he didn't see what he could do.</p><p>The day was, like the weeks before it, mostly spent in drill. Naruto by now was entirely comfortable with his rifle and he helped a pair of new recruits in his squad to get the reloading done right.</p><p>There was a commotion at the gate and he turned to see what the fuss was about. "Keep practicing, you two, you'll get it in no time," he said.</p><p>There were a dozen women waiting. At their head stood Sakura. "We want to enlist," she told the sentry.</p><p>"Go right ahead," he replied, and they were about to enter the mustering ground when the captain stomped over.</p><p>"No," he barked.</p><p>Sakura scowled at him. "What do you mean, 'no'?"</p><p>"I mean," the captain said, puffing up his chest, "that we are not accepting any volunteers right now. Please leave. You're disturbing the training of this city's defence forces."</p><p>Naruto stepped in close and murmured a question. "Is there a reason we're turning away a dozen good recruits, sir?"</p><p>"Look at them. They're in cahoots with each other. No army needs that." The captain leaned on his cane, knuckles white. "It breeds mutiny. Mutiny and insubordination. I won't have it!"</p><p>"Of course, sir," Naruto said. He saluted and then waited for a moment of inattention, where he stole out of the side gate. There was a commotion nearby and he found Sakura and her colleagues in a huddle. Sakura spotted him and stalked over, fuming mad.</p><p>"This morning my pig of a boss tried to put his hand up my friend's skirt. I led a dozen of my coworkers out of that factory with the promise of new employment here. How are they going to feed their families?"</p><p>Naruto ran his hands through his hair, frustration boiling over. "Up until ten minutes ago, we were taking on any volunteers that came by, no questions asked. The captain feels threatened by the idea that his soldiers have something in common with each other. That's why he sent your group away."</p><p>Sakura punched the wall. "What a petty tyrant. I'm twice the fighter he is, and he knows it! I want to strangle that wretch with my own two hands."</p><p>"I hate the captain as much as you, but I'm just a corporal!" Naruto shouted. "There's nothing I can do!"</p><p>-O-</p><p>"You're home early. What happened?" Sasuke asked. He'd injured his shoulder two days before and the steelworks had immediately fired him with no severance pay. Now he spent most of the day resting, hoping to recover fast so he could go back to work.</p><p>Naruto shrugged. "The captain told Sakura's group to shove off. I got tired of thinking there was nothing I could do. And so I did something."</p><p>"And by 'something' you mean…"</p><p>"I organised a strike amongst the Red Docks battalion. Every man and woman in the unit threatened to desert unless we could elect our own officers, and had the right to recruit. That means we can accept any volunteers we want, so long as they meet the physical requirements."</p><p>Sasuke blinked. "So they fired you?"</p><p>"Not quite. The mayor agreed to our demands. He needs every trained man and woman he can get right now. Sakura's joined the battalion along with a dozen other seamstresses, and because they're new and won't be standing in the elections, they were put in charge of the ballots. They're tallying the votes up tonight. Tomorrow we find out who the new captain is."</p><p>Sasuke clapped a hand on Naruto's shoulder, and the awe in his voice was sincere. "That's incredible. I can't believe you managed to pull it off."</p><p>Naruto blushed. "I just set things in motion. Most of the guards come from the same district as us; they're just as sick of the way things are. And the mayor is really up against the wall here. If he refuses our demands, and other battalions carry out solidarity strikes, he'll have to man the walls himself."</p><p>"Sounds like a rousing success, then."</p><p>"The folks in the Red Docks are a good sort. They know we're all in this together and without solidarity we'll keep getting shafted by the ruling classes. I just wonder who the next captain will be," Naruto said. "Hopefully someone more bearable. I guess I'll find out tomorrow."</p><p>Soon the fire was lit and Sasuke began warming the soup again. "My shoulder's improving. It should be back to normal in a few days," he offered.</p><p>Naruto sprawled in one of the rickety chairs. "Do you think they'll take you back at the steelworks?"</p><p>Sasuke shook his head. "If I go back, my shoulder will be fucked again within a week. They won't take the chance. I might join the demonstrations in the city centre, outside the mayor's office."</p><p>"Have you considered enlisting in the National Guard?"</p><p>"They won't take an Uchiha, not after what happened in the last uprising," Sasuke said, pride and anger warring across his face. "It's tantamount to declaring open rebellion. My name alone will fan the flames."</p><p>Naruto shut up after that. It was rare for Sasuke to talk about his past or his family, and Naruto had learned not to pry.</p><p>Exhausted from the day's events, he drifted off in his chair, but he woke up with a start when the door slammed open. "What's happening?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.</p><p>"Sakura's back," Sasuke said. She stormed in, wearing her uniform and carrying a rifle strapped to her back.</p><p>Sakura hugged Naruto, and then she slapped him on the chest. Her eyes sparkled and she was grinning from ear to ear, which rather undercut her scolding. "What you pulled today was too risky! What if the mayor had called your bluff? You could have been fired, or worse. And you weren't really going to just desert and let the invaders overrun the city, were you?"</p><p>"Not exactly, no," Naruto said, grinning. "But perhaps if our unit went and spoke to the other guards, we could all have pulled back the defensive lines and left the wealthiest parts of the city exposed."</p><p>"That's a masterstroke," Sasuke said, admiring. "The rich can fend for themselves. Or not. Either way I won't be losing any sleep."</p><p>"Oh, I have some news, Naruto," Sakura said, bursting with excitement. "Or should I say 'Captain Uzumaki'?"</p><p>Naruto blinked. "I… really? You're not joking? I didn't expect that to happen at all!"</p><p>She sauntered over and pinned the insignia to his chest. "Congratulations, Captain. Most of the other ranks are unchanged, but the former captain has been fired. I don't think he's taking it well." She couldn't quite hide the glee in her voice.</p><p>-O-</p><p>Organising a battalion was more work than Naruto could have imagined. Fortunately, the former captain had done almost none of it himself, and so Naruto could delegate a great deal of the paperwork to the other officers.</p><p>"We've trained hard and trained well, and as of today this unit is classed as combat ready. Tomorrow, we take a turn on the wall," he told his unit in the afternoon, clutching fresh order papers. "Remember your training and we'll do the city proud. We're the first and last line of defence for our friends and families."</p><p>He slept poorly that night. Visions of his guards, dying as they followed his orders, haunted him.</p><p>Compared to his dreams, the city's defence was incredibly boring.</p><p>Another rattling cannonball struck the city, and Naruto knew it would be fifteen minutes before the cannon was cooled, reloaded and ready to fire again. He sat down and watched the invaders' camp, a good two miles clear of the city's suburbs. Apart from three failed assaults at the beginning of the siege, they had done nothing but cut off the flow of trade along the river and the railroads. Barely a shot had been fired in months, save the huge guns that were demolishing the city blow by blow.</p><p>Five paces down the wall, one of his men smoked a cigarette, gun resting against the battlements a safe distance away. Naruto had heard stories of cigarette butts lighting off gunpowder and injuring or killing soldiers, and he was taking no chances.</p><p>"Don't suppose we'll see anything happen today, sir?" the guard said.</p><p>"I doubt it. Nothing happened yesterday and nothing will happen tomorrow. They'll either wait till they've starved us into submission, or the ruling classes get off their asses and cut a deal," Naruto said. "And then we'll be ordered back into the factories and mines for a pittance."</p><p>"Ain't that the truth," the guard said. "But I'm not planning to take orders from anyone ever again, unless I've had the chance to cast my ballot for 'em."</p><p>Naruto stared out into the distance again, but this time at the city's centre, where the mayor's house – against all the odds and despite the constant shelling – still stood. "Yeah, they gave me this gun, but that doesn't mean I'm just gonna hand it back when the siege is over."</p><p>"Me and the others appreciate being able to count on you, sir," the man said, tossing the end of the cigarette onto the ground outside the city. "I just want you to know you can count on us, too."</p><p>"My blood runs red, same as yours," Naruto said. "When the time comes we'll all need to remember that."</p><p>"And maybe we'll see if the bluebloods live up to that name."</p><p>Naruto nodded, an angry smile playing over his lips as he imagined getting the aristocracy under lock and key. "Maybe we will."</p><p>Nothing else happened at the wall that day. Naruto grabbed a newspaper on the way home – the <em>Cry Of The People</em> was still banned, but <em>Awaken</em> had a revolutionary slant as well and had managed to avoid the censors thus far. He read the headline and then abandoned his leisurely walk. <em>Protestors and army exchange fire at demonstration; multiple dead.</em></p><p>He rushed home, boots splashing through the mud. The streets were still empty or he'd have bowled over some poor folks minding their own business, but he was gripped by a terrible fear.</p><p>"You're alright," he gasped out when he saw Sasuke sitting at the table, scowling. "I read the paper– I thought you were–"</p><p>"I was there, at the demonstration, but I wasn't hurt," Sasuke said. His brows were drawn as he stared at his hands. "It was a peaceful protest, up until they opened fire."</p><p>"It's not the first protest you've been to. What went differently this time?" Naruto asked urgently.</p><p>Sasuke shrugged. "Every day there are more of us, though the demands don't change. Civil oversight of the army, equal distribution of rations and medicine, immediate elections. Maybe they got scared when they realised how badly outnumbered they were. Or maybe some idiot thought they could cow us with a show of force."</p><p>"Were there no members of the National Guard?" Naruto asked.</p><p>"A few off-duty guards were there and shot back. It's probably for the best there weren't more, or it would have been a bloodbath. As it is, the soldiers only fired one volley, and then most of the protestors fled."</p><p>"At least the guards are still loyal to the people, instead of the generals," Naruto said.</p><p>Sasuke nodded. "And there are more of us than there are of them."</p><p>"What happened to the bodies of the dead? And the injured, come to think of it?"</p><p>Sasuke looked disgusted with himself. "I left when the bullets started flying. Too few of us were armed to make a fight of it, and I didn't want to become another body unless I could take one of them with me."</p><p>They looked up as Sakura burst through the door. "I just heard! I'm so glad you're safe," she said, hugging Sasuke.</p><p>"There's a detailed report in here," Naruto said, spreading <em>Awaken</em> out in the middle of the table. All three of them gathered around the paper, looking for names they might recognise or specifics that might be important.</p><p>"Six dead, I don't know how many wounded, and no medical supplies for any of the injured." Naruto took a deep breath and tried not to scream.</p><p>"They've arrested almost a hundred 'revolutionaries'. And I heard from a friend that they're banning another two newspapers, including <em>Awaken</em>," Sasuke said, voice thick with disgust.</p><p>Sakura spat on the floor. "Those cowards in the army shot at the protestors first. They'll get what's coming to them, and soon. The guards won't stand for it. Two injured soldiers is just the beginning."</p><p>"If citizens demanding accountability and food are revolutionary, then so are we," Sasuke declared. His eyes blazed with anger and he had a white-knuckle grip on the edge of the table. "Give me a rifle and point me at the soldiers responsible, and I'll make sure they greet the sunrise from six feet underground."</p><p>"There's that Uchiha blood, and I'll be damned if this city doesn't need more of it," Sakura said. "Give it another few days and you might get your wish, Sasuke. Things are at boiling point."</p><p>Naruto stared into his bowl. The soup was thinner than yesterday. Sakura had topped it up with water, since they couldn't buy any more supplies for another few days. He pushed the bowl away and stood up, his chair skidding back.</p><p>"I'm going out," he announced. "I might be a few hours."</p><p>Sakura and Sasuke knew to leave him be when he was in a mood, but Naruto wasn't just walking off the nervous energy. Captain's insignia pinned to his chest, he marched straight to the nearest army checkpoint. Two nervous privates were keeping watch, but they relaxed when they saw his uniform.</p><p>"At ease, comrades," Naruto greeted them. They tensed again at the last word.</p><p>"Sir, I'm not sure that's appropriate," the taller one said. In the distance, a cannon fired and another building collapsed.</p><p>Naruto leaned against the wall next to him. "I've just come to have a quiet, unofficial chat," he said, tone entirely steady. "About today."</p><p>"It wasn't our fault!" the short one protested. "I wasn't even anywhere close when it happened."</p><p>"I'm not here to blame you for anything," Naruto said mildly. "I just want to ask a few questions."</p><p>"Like what?" the taller one asked.</p><p>"I can tell by your accent you're from the city. Whereabouts do your family live?"</p><p>Neither of them answered.</p><p>"What would you do if they were at those protests? The lack of food and medicine will hurt them too, eventually, even if they aren't sick and starving right now."</p><p>"I…" the shorter one began, but Naruto spoke right over him.</p><p>"And what happens when your captain orders you to shoot at the protestors, that's the real question."</p><p>"Is there a point to this?" the taller one asked. His eyes were narrowed.</p><p>Naruto shrugged. "The National Guard is always recruiting, and you won't have to fire at your friends and family."</p><p>"My <em>unit</em> is my family, sir," the short one said.</p><p>"Take your unit with you." Naruto pushed himself off the wall again and strode off, calling out a goodbye as he went. "Take care, boys."</p><p>He visited another four checkpoints before it was too dark out for him to see.</p><p>-O-</p><p>Over the next two weeks, the Red Docks battalion took another four shifts guarding the walls. Naruto continued his evening walks where he could. Some of the soldiers were more receptive than others; on two occasions they threatened to shoot him. As the faces of the civilians grew thinner, the soldiers were still well-fed, and that more than anything kept Naruto's anger growing.</p><p>Sasuke still visited the protests. Nowhere was hiring save the guards, and they weren't interested in an Uchiha. The tone of the demonstrations had changed, though. The men and women who showed up were fewer in number, but they brought makeshift clubs and shields, and more than a couple of guns. They kept their distance from the soldiers, but the tension in the air was palpable.</p><p>Units of the National Guard took it in turns to patrol nearby, backing up the protestors and keeping the army units pinned in place. The bright blue jackets and red trousers of the soldiers were a stark contrast to the muted grey and navy greatcoats that the guards wore.</p><p>And then one morning, things changed.</p><p>"Can you hear that?" Sakura asked as she prepared breakfast – three bowls of gruel so thin Naruto could have drunk it like tea.</p><p>Sasuke cocked an ear. "I don't hear anything at all."</p><p>"The guns. They've stopped."</p><p>She was right.</p><p>Naruto slipped into his greatcoat and boots, and grabbed his rifle. He shouldered his way through the door, Sakura and Sasuke close behind. The city was in chaos. Men and women thronged the streets, and despite gossip of every kind flying from ear to ear, nobody knew what was going on. Naruto formed up his battalion and marched to the wall, in case of a surprise attack. He forged his way through the excited civilians, When he got there, though, he almost dropped his gun in shock.</p><p>The invaders were packing up their cannons, their tents, even the wounded were being loaded into huge wagons.</p><p>A woman wearing the green-and-white outfit of a messenger fought her way to the top of the wall and handed a bundle of papers to Naruto.</p><p>"Orders from headquarters, sir," the runner said. Naruto passed the order packet to his lieutenant. He kept his gaze on the camp of the invading army, looking for any sign the preparations were a sham and they were about to assault the city.</p><p>"Sir. There's been a peace treaty negotiated. The army is to turn over some of its weapons. The National Guard are being turned into a kind of police force for now, until a transitional government takes over. You'll want to read the rest for yourself."</p><p>The rest of the orders covered the broad strokes of the peace deal. Outlying parts of the country had been signed over to the invader, and a great deal of gold as well. One section in particular grabbed Naruto's attention and refused to let go. <em>The army must disarm itself completely. The National Guard will be the only armed body in the city, for the purposes of maintaining good order, and shall not interfere with the terms of the treaty, especially the effective removal of the besieging units.</em></p><p>There was opportunity in the air, for the first time in decades. Naruto could almost taste it at the back of his throat, and he'd die before he let it go to waste. For the moment, the National Guard – and therefore the people of the city, rather than the mass of men that bore the yoke of the generals and the rich – was the only power in the city.</p><p>Naruto gathered his unit around, standing on an upturned wooden crate so they could see him better. He spoke from the heart. "Comrades!" he began. It felt good to use that word openly.</p><p>"The siege is over; the invader has been bought off by the promises of the ruling class. Money and land have been grudgingly given, where before the lives of our fellows were spent like water. No doubt they will try to reclaim their losses from our empty pockets."</p><p>The mood of the men and women was feverish. Many gripped their rifles in both hands, eyes alight with anger and its more dangerous cousin – hope.</p><p>"It is not clear what happens next. We will coordinate with the other units of the National Guard and decide what steps must be taken to secure the city, and deliver food and safety to its citizens. In keeping with this plan, I move that we carry out new elections for every officer role in this unit, and also choose a delegate to represent us at City Hall. Thank you all, and I offer you my unflinching support, whatever comes next. Unity forever."</p><p>Naruto climbed off the crate to a round of cheers from his unit.</p><p>"The delegate should ideally be someone outside the unit. Otherwise we risk our most competent officers being sent off to debate all day. It needs to be someone who the guards trust, though, and who will fight for them," Naruto instructed his lieutenant. "Ask around and see who the unit wants, and put a list of candidates together for the vote. We'll count the ballots this afternoon. There's no time to waste."</p><p>"Yes sir. What will you be doing, sir?" the lieutenant asked.</p><p>Naruto adjusted his coat. "I, lieutenant, will be <em>agitating</em>."</p><p>There were over a hundred battalions of varying sizes in the city. Naruto wouldn't have the opportunity to visit them all, but he made his way to the handful with nearby mustering grounds. Variations of the same speech, exhorting them to appoint a representative, were well received, and Naruto saw that many of the guards had replaced the city flags with a plan banner of revolutionary red. He resolved that the Red Docks should do the same.</p><p>"Welcome back, Captain," Sakura said when he returned later that evening. "The unit has re-elected you; it wasn't even close."</p><p>It was joyous but harrowing to know that so many men and women had placed their trust in him a second time. Naruto knew it would be a hard road ahead and he swore to himself that he would not falter. Not when his unit, his <em>city</em>, depended on him.</p><p>"There's more news, isn't there? I recognise that look in your eye," he said.</p><p>Sakura grinned. "You should show more respect towards your new lieutenant. And just wait until you see who the Red Docks chose as a representative."</p><p>She wouldn't sound so smug unless… Naruto laughed as he saw Sasuke in the middle of a crowd of guards. They were each petitioning him on a different issue, and he appeared in his element, taking notes about injustice after injustice.</p><p>"New orders arrived, by the way," Sakura said. "News of your idea reached headquarters, and they liked it so much that every battalion is now authorised to elect its own representative. They're forming a committee to make 'any decisions that fall under the purview of policing, security, administration and rebuilding'."</p><p>"That means there's almost no area the committee won't control. And they're putting an Uchiha on that committee. An <em>elected</em> Uchiha, no less. They might as well have sent the army a pile of shit with a note inside reading 'this is a revolution'." Naruto threw his head back and stared at the blue sky. "It's really happening."</p><p>-O-</p><p>The takeover was smooth as butter, and for the first time in months, butter was once again available in the city. Along with fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, bread and rice. The railway stations were a hive of activity, the docks their only rival. Much of the army was still quartered in the city, but without their weapons they had no authority. The Central Committee of the National Guard was in the ascendant.</p><p>They had a rifle for every guard, and plenty to spare. They had ammunition, though the army's stock was still out of reach for the moment. They had control of all entry and exit points, as well as the backing of the citizens. The one thing that Naruto knew was desperately needed was artillery.</p><p>Four hundred outdated cannons had been surrendered by the army to the invaders, and then promptly abandoned out on the plain. The Red Docks had been one of the units assigned to distribute them throughout the city.</p><p>The army didn't like that. They demanded the cannons be delivered to them as soon as the peace treaty allowed the military to re-arm themselves. Naruto got a glimpse of the official request, with an ornate letterhead and even more ornate signature at the bottom.</p><p>Unwilling to compromise the city's defences and give ground to the organisation that many citizens blamed for multiple deaths, the Central Committee refused to accept the authority of the army. Instead, they tabled a debate of the various courses of action available. Naruto spent all day worrying what the consequences would be.</p><p>The Red Docks were one of the largest battalions, and so they had been given a larger jurisdiction to patrol. Shifting to an all-day rota system with staggered shifts was hard, but Sakura's bookkeeping meant there were always guards ready to keep the peace and quash unrest.</p><p>After his shift, Naruto waited anxiously for Sasuke to get home. "What decision did the Central Committee make?" he asked as soon as his friend was through the door.</p><p>"We're keeping the cannons," Sasuke said. "That's the end of it. We can't trust anyone else to protect us. The same fools who led us to defeat want to make sure we have no weapons."</p><p>"They've said they'll come take them, if necessary," Sakura pointed out. Her expression made clear what she thought of that idea.</p><p>Sasuke laughed. "They're welcome to try."</p><p>-O-</p><p>"Captain Uzumaki, sir, it's an emergency!"</p><p>Naruto went from sleeping to upright in the space of two seconds. "What is it?" he barked before he'd even picked up his trousers.</p><p>"Some of our men stopped soldiers and horses at the edge of the city!" the guard shouted. "They wanted to get in, and there was almost some shooting, but we held them off."</p><p>Horses meant they planned to move something, Naruto knew. Something heavy. "Where was this?" he asked.</p><p>"Sir. They're at the eastern gate."</p><p>The eastern gate was the closest entry point to the park where the cannons were stored. The army would be hoping to capture them. Naruto got dressed as fast as he could, slung his rifle over his shoulder and raced out the door. Sakura was already out on patrol, and Sasuke had taken to sleeping in the Central Committee building on occasion. He was the only person who could stop the disaster.</p><p>It wasn't far to run, even on an empty stomach. As Naruto got closer he heard shouting and the sounds of a crowd. Hundreds of civilians were hurling abuse at the fifty-odd soldiers in the park. It was hard to get a clear view of what was going on, so he clambered onto the windowsill of a nearby house.</p><p>Naruto brightened up at the sight that greeted his eyes. Soldiers struggled to move the heavy cannons, and two horses they'd requisitioned were being uncooperative. Without their backup, and more importantly the draft horses, they had no chance of stealing any artillery. Their leader, a general according to the insignia on his shoulders, must have realised it too.</p><p>There was a madness on the general's face that scared Naruto. He hopped down and joined the crowd, trying to get past the mass of civilians. Perhaps he could calm the situation before things got out of hand.</p><p>The crowd pressed in closer, and Naruto spotted guard uniforms scattered amongst the civilians. The general must have seen them too, because he ordered his troops to form up and ready weapons.</p><p>"Back! Back, or we <em>will</em> fire," he announced. His reedy voice could barely be heard over the clamour of the mob.</p><p>The soldiers were scared, Naruto saw. He elbowed past another man, desperately trying to stop the tragedy-in-waiting.</p><p>"On my mark, fire," the general said. He raised his sword into the air. The civilians were a mere dozen steps away. At the front, men and women fought to get back, but the press of bodies was too great.</p><p>Naruto got another step closer to the edge of the crowd.</p><p>"Fire, damn you!" the general shouted and swept his sword down. Some of his men raised their guns, but the rest wavered. In the end, nobody pulled the trigger.</p><p>It was smart of them, Naruto decided. They would have been torn apart by the angry mob.</p><p>"Cowards and traitors, all of you!" the general screamed. He wrestled a rifle off one of the soldiers. Naruto, gun still slung over his back, finally pushed his way free and socked him in the face. The general collapsed like an old blanket falling off a washing line.</p><p>"Order! Order!" Naruto roared, and amazingly, the crowd quieted down. "The attempted removal of this city's defence, unless by the express order of the Central Committee, is high treason! Any of the soldiers who wish to stay must swear loyalty to the citizens of the city, and join the National Guard. The rest can go but they have to leave their guns behind. For ordering the shooting of civilians, I'm arresting this man. The authorities will deal with him."</p><p>Members of the guard had melted out of the crowd and formed up behind him as he spoke. The soldiers were outgunned two to one, and – if he included the citizens – outnumbered ten to one at least. The first man dropped his rifle as Naruto watched, and one of the guards collected it. Soon half the soldiers had disarmed, and the other half were taking strips of red cloth from the civilians and tying them around their upper arms. It was good enough as a temporary sign of allegiance.</p><p>"Oh, and whoever these horses belong to, please put them away again," Naruto added. There were some chuckles from the crowd and a red-faced man came and took the halters.</p><p>"Can we really recruit all these extra soldiers, sir?" a sergeant asked Naruto. "Won't the mayor complain? Won't the <em>army </em>complain?"</p><p>Naruto nodded. "Most likely. But look around you, sergeant. Do you really think the army has any control over the situation? And the Central Committee will back us to the hilt. That's worth more than the mayor's approval."</p><p>The crowd swelled as more and more people came to the source of the commotion. It was only a matter of time until fresh soldiers came, Naruto knew. "Form up on me. We're securing the city walls," he ordered.</p><p>-O-</p><p>Naruto was incredibly grateful that Sakura had been made lieutenant. Within half an hour of him reaching the wall, she'd mustered the rest of his unit and marched them over. There was also a new command post set up in a nearby cafe, and runners had been dispatched to headquarters with an update on the situation.</p><p>A detachment of guards had taken control of the municipal armoury, Sakura explained. She'd requisitioned an extra supply of munitions, and armed the wave of volunteers that had appeared in the wake of the uprising.</p><p>Sasuke organised the civilians in building a barricade at the street level. The Central Committee would be holding another hearing in a few hours time, but he wanted to make himself useful until then. Stacks of bricks and squared-off paving stones formed a makeshift rampart; four embrasures left space for a set of cannons. If the army wanted to return, they would have a fight on their hands.</p><p>This was the people's city now.</p><p>A runner brought a packet of papers for Naruto. He read the first page slowly, struggling a little with the cursive. New orders had arrived.</p><p>"Lieutenant Sakura, I'm leaving you in charge here, with our full strength minus twenty men."</p><p>"Where are you going, sir?" she asked.</p><p>Naruto smiled. "To give the people their due."</p><p>He picked two lines of ten men each and led them down a back alley. A nervous man crept out of a small house with a heavy wagon parked outside.</p><p>"Take me to the place you told me of," Naruto said.</p><p>The teamster nodded. He picked out a path down narrow lanes and past run-down shacks where the poorest lived. It reminded Naruto uncomfortably of his own home. After forty minutes walk, the neighborhoods grew wealthier, and at last they stopped in front of a low stone building with a wood-and-iron door. There were no windows and a huge lock adorned the only entrance.</p><p>"This is the place," the teamster said. "Last year after the harvest, I brought six wagonloads here myself, and plenty of others did the same."</p><p>Naruto used the crowbar to pry open the locked door. He could scarcely believe his eyes.</p><p>Outside, the city of starving men, women and children. Inside, sacks of grain, enough to feed the hungry many times over.</p><p>The last of his doubts vanished. Who could defend the system when faced so starkly with the bedrock of suffering that it perpetuated? But now that system was dead. With a grin on his face, he led his squad into the granary and started dragging out the hoarded food, piling it up on the steps for the people of the city.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for the great prompt! I only had two days to write this story, due to filling in as a post-deadline pinch hitter, but I really enjoyed it. I hope you get a kick out of reading it too.</p><p>The revolution in this story is very loosely based on the Paris Commune, when the city for two months in 1871 was ruled by a revolutionary government. The French army restored order via the massacre of roughly 20,000 Parisians.</p><p>Some of the details here are taken directly from real events (troops demanding to elect their officers, and the siege and shelling of Paris by Prussian forces, are two examples) although I’ve taken quite a few liberties in places.</p><p>Naruto’s partial mis-use of military terms is intentional; he doesn’t know what the right words are for these things, and he’s not in a traditional military force where it would be taught.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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